It can be difficult to remove oil paint from walls, particularly if it has been there for a while. However, whether you’re updating your walls or remodeling a room, it’s an important task that must be done correctly. You can save time and effort by being aware of the best practices.
We’ll look at the best and fastest methods for removing oil paint from walls in this post. We’ll go over the most effective tools and methods, from sanding to using heat guns and chemical strippers. Regardless of your level of experience, you’ll find useful advice to finish the task.
With the appropriate method, you can get rid of that tenacious paint and get your walls ready for a brand-new appearance. Let’s get started on the actions you can do to ensure that this process goes as smoothly as possible.
- Why remove old paint
- What tools will be useful
- Methods for removing oil paint
- Mechanical
- Chemical
- Thermal
- Mechanized
- Video on the topic
- REPAIR IN A KHRUSHCHEVKA | REMOVING PAINT FROM WALLS WITHOUT A PERFECTOR – Part 2
- HOW TO REMOVE OIL-BASED PAINT FROM WALLS (5 methods, their pros and cons)
- HOW TO QUICKLY REMOVE OLD OIL-BASED PAINT IN SEVERAL LAYERS FROM WALLS
Why remove old paint
And is this something that is always required? Both the question and its solution are fairly straightforward.
Where on the walls can you currently find such a coating, let’s start? Except in older apartments that still have the "Soviet" finish, where the walls are light (or whitewashed) from above and dark (or both). Still, this is not that significant.
What matters is what you plan to do with them after that:
- If leveling with plaster (see. Alignment of walls with plaster according to all the rules), putty, tile, paint or wallpaper, then it is necessary to remove the coating, because building mixtures and adhesives will not “stick” to it or the adhesion will be very unreliable. The result may be peeling of the new coating.
- If finishing with plasterboard, clapboard, wall panels or any other materials attached to the lathing is supposed, there is no need to remove the paint.
Thus, before investing a great deal of time and energy in removing oil paint from the walls, it is best to decide in advance what additional finishing needs to be done. Even in cases where it is required, the process of removing the previous coating is frequently chosen based on the kind of coating that will replace it.
What tools will be useful
Paint removal from walls is accomplished with a range of tools. In other words, everyone can choose what best fits their needs, circumstances, and budget.
You might require the following supplies and equipment, depending on the kind of paint and the technique used to remove it:
- A hair dryer – they are useful for the thermal method;
- An electric drill;
- A spatula or scraper – a universal tool;
- Water;
- Personal protective equipment, such as gloves, a respirator.
- A liquid with which to remove varnish, well, a brush or roller for it. You need to be extremely careful with such a product, as it can be toxic and cause allergies.
It can be difficult to remove oil paint from a wall quickly, but you can speed up and ease the process if you have the right equipment and methods. This post will walk you through some efficient techniques, like using heat guns, power sanding, and chemical paint strippers, as well as provide advice on how to keep yourself and your surroundings safe when working. Whether you’re working on a small space or a large room, following these steps will help you finish the task quickly and with the least amount of mess.
Methods for removing oil paint
Every technique listed below has benefits and drawbacks, with one in particular being that it will require a significant amount of time and work.
Mechanical
This is the most time-consuming and physically demanding method, but it doesn’t cost money and doesn’t have any negative health effects. The primary instrument, which you will need to operate with your hands, is an ordinary axe. It takes a lot of physical strength to do this.
This approach is best if
- After cleaning, you will be leveling the walls with plaster;
- Or tiling them.
An axe is used to create a rough surface, which is ideal for both plaster and adhesive solutions to stick to. The process of removing an oil coating from a wall essentially involves chopping it off.
This is carried out in this manner:
- First, with a sharp axe, make frequent notches over the entire area to be cleaned;
- Then the wall is generously moistened with water using a spray bottle or a wet rag;
- When the water is absorbed, the same axe or hammer and chisel should be used to scrape off the coating, holding the tool no longer at a right angle, but at an acute angle to the surface.
Suggestions. To ensure that the water does not have time to dry, it is preferable to wet and clean small areas.
This approach is also used when working in a space that cannot be actively ventilated, such as a room without any ventilation. Although quite a bit of dust is produced, the respiratory system can be shielded from it with a simple gauze bandage.
Chemical
Cutting paint off a wall is far more difficult than physically washing it off (see. How to remove paint without issues with washing). and more quickly. And given that there are multiple specialized products available for removing oil paint from walls, this is quite possible. Many refer to it as a wash.
With the help of acids, solvents, and other chemical reagents, it softens the coating, making it simple to remove with a metal scraper or spatula.
As you are already aware, the washing procedure differs greatly from using water and a cloth to remove dirt from the surface because the solution is highly abrasive and you must use it while closely adhering to the technology:
- The solution is applied to the surface with a roller or brush in one direction;
- After the specified time, when the coating becomes soft, it is removed along with the applied product with any convenient tool;
- The procedure sometimes has to be repeated to achieve the desired result. As a rule, repeated washing is necessary if the paint is applied in several layers;
- Upon completion of work, the mixture of paint and solvent must be disposed of, preventing it from entering the ground or domestic sewer.
The risk of being poisoned by volatile substances or suffering a severe burn to the skin or mucous membranes is the method’s greatest drawback. It can therefore only be utilized in spaces with adequate ventilation or a powerful hood. However, even in this situation, the stench may linger for a while, making it impossible for you to live there or simply stay there while repairs are being made. in particular, kids and those with medical issues.
Suggestions. You should wear a respirator when working, as well as gloves and specialty goggles to protect your hands and eyes. Wearing a suit with long sleeves and pants is also advised.
The product’s high cost, which can be quite burdensome if a large area needs to be treated, is its second major drawback. Lime, soda ash, and liquid glass are less dangerous alternatives to pre-made chemical reagents.
Although it is challenging to use them on walls, oil paint can be easily removed from floors:
- It needs to be generously moistened with water, covered with a continuous layer of soda and covered with sackcloth for a day, constantly wetting it during this time. The next day, the swollen paint will be easy to remove with a spatula.
- Quicklime, which is mixed with soda ash in a ratio of 3:1, will help speed up the process. A thick gruel is also applied to the surface and kept for 12 hours.
- But the walls can be coated with liquid glass and allowed to dry. When this happens, the resulting silicate film will be removed from the surface along with the old paint.
Thermal
In addition to being influenced by chemical reagents, high temperatures can also cause oil paint to soften. Using a spatula, the coating can be removed if it is thoroughly heated. A hair dryer for buildings can be used for this.
In this instance, the tasks are completed concurrently: a tiny area is heated, then the paint is instantly removed until it solidifies once more.
If you don’t have a specific tool, you can heat the painted surface with a regular iron by passing it through foil.
This is a crucial matter. The technique is inapplicable to surfaces that are heat-sensitive (plastic, PVC), as well as areas that contain electrical wiring.
If the paint did not release any harmful compounds when heated, the heating method might be regarded as the cleanest and safest. As with the wash, this means that using it outside of well-ventilated spaces and without respiratory protection is prohibited by the instructions.
However, using a blowtorch, gas burner, or any other open flame source to soften the paint is not advised because it poses a fire risk. Especially if the base under the coating is wooden.
Mechanized
Although they speed up the process, mechanized methods produce a lot of dust and dirt. Thus, it’s important to reiterate that wearing a respirator or applying a gauze bandage to the face is necessary.
The primary instruments utilized are a drill with specialized attachments or a grinder:
- Attachments for a grinder – a wide abrasive wheel or a round metal brush. To reduce the amount of dust, it is recommended to take an assistant with a vacuum cleaner, if it is not possible to use a specialized tool with a built-in vacuum cleaner.
- A brick crown can be attached to a drill or hammer drill.
- Another tool for removing the paint is a painting chain, also fixed to the drill. If you can"t find it, you can use any chain with thick links (at least 5 mm in cross-section). There should be an odd number of links: 11, 13 or 15, so that after securing the central link, the length of the chain on both sides is the same – for balance. For the same reason, if links are damaged on one side, they are removed from the other, until there are three left on each side. In this case, the chain is replaced with a new one, since working with a short one will be inconvenient and dangerous.
Kindly take note. Turning to the left will turn on the drill with the chain if you are left-handed, and to the right if you are right-handed.
Method | Description |
Heat Gun | Use a heat gun to soften the paint, then scrape it off with a putty knife. |
Chemical Paint Stripper | Apply a chemical paint stripper, wait for it to soften the paint, and then scrape it away. |
Sandpaper | Sand the paint off manually or with an electric sander. |
Vinegar | Heat vinegar, apply it to the paint, and let it sit for a few minutes before scraping. |
Although removing oil paint from a wall can appear difficult, it can be completed quickly and efficiently if the proper method is used. Whether you decide to use sanding, heat guns, or chemical strippers, it’s crucial to set up your workspace and follow safety guidelines.
Every approach has advantages of its own, so think about which suits your needs the best. Heat guns provide accuracy for smaller areas, but chemical strippers work well for larger ones. A dependable solution for surfaces that can withstand it is sanding.
Soon enough, you’ll have a clean wall prepared for a new finish or coat of paint if you take your time and do the task correctly. You can confidently take on the task of removing oil paint and achieve the desired outcomes by following these steps.